An affiliate program is where a beauty professional can receive commission for selling a brand online. You help them generate more sales, so you get rewarded with a well-deserved percentage. Sweet gig, right?
Say you’re a hairstylist and you share your favorite texture spray on your Instagram with all of your followers and clients, along with a special link where they can purchase the product from you on the brand’s website.
If one of them follows the link and purchases the texture spray you recommended, you would receive a commission for their purchase through your affiliate program with the company. Score.
5 Reasons to Join an Affiliate Program:
- Retail Alternative During COVID-19.
It’s been an incredibly difficult time for beauty professionals. Reopened locations are at lowered capacity and many regular clients still have not returned. While they may not be getting their beauty services in the frequency they used to, most are still staying stocked up on their products. Even though they’re not making trips to the salon or spa for services, you don’t have to lose out completely on any profit. If you’re in an affiliate program with brands you sell, then these clients can purchase their products online just as if it were after a service with you. This way, you’ll still receive commission from their purchase. There’s no harm in some supplemental income as you wait to get back into your old groove! - Clients Are Already Buying Online.
Perhaps you’re a skincare therapist and the first one to introduce a client to the moisturizer they now can’t imagine living without. But now their jar is close to empty and they don’t see you for another two weeks. Chances are, they’re not going to drive to the spa to pick up a refill from you. They’re going to go online and get it there instead. If you are in an affiliate program with the brands you offer, your clients can still benefit from the ease of online shopping without you losing a sale, even if they’re not buying from you in-person. - Shield Clients from Diversion.
Let’s say you can’t offer your client a way to purchase online through you and they go ahead and find the moisturizer on Amazon. Something we know all about in the industry that the everyday person may not be aware of is diversion—when products are sold by non-verified vendors. When this happens, the client may end up ordering a product that is expired, an old formula, or has been damaged. Suddenly the magic moisturizer you provided them no longer works and they swear off the brand you offer. Sorry, eCommerce diverters… not on our watch! Your involvement in an affiliate program will allow your clients to purchase products online that they can trust. Explain to them what diverted products are and the benefit of purchasing from you on the brand’s website rather than an eCommerce site. They’ll stay loyal in purchasing from you online because they know they’ll be guaranteed quality products. - Focus More Energy on Fewer Brands.
Rather than carrying a large variety of retail brands, focus your energy on selling items that will bring you the highest return—your affiliate brands. This will allow you to develop greater expertise and knowledge about the brand and its products, rather than trying to memorize key factors about too many different items. Plus, companies will often provide their affiliates with extra product information so they really know their stuff. Not to mention they may provide a few other things… - Be in the Know.
If you know a brand or specific product inside out and have used it yourself, you’re better able to sell it, right? Brands know this, too. Oftentimes, companies with affiliate programs often provide their affiliates with exclusive extras so they can better sell their products. As an affiliate, you may receive things such as:
- Extra product information.
- Sneak peeks into new products.
- Samples and freebies.
- Special offers and discounts.
- Incentives, contests, and bonuses.
- Special offers and discounts for you to offer clients.
- Creative assets to use on social media, at your station, in emails, on your website, etc. Some will even create custom assets for you depending on your needs!
More than ever, beauty brands are offering affiliate programs that are super simple to join. If you think being part of an affiliate program is right for you, begin looking up brands you sell (or those you’d like to!) and see if they offer a program! You’ll be surprised to see how many of your favorite brands offer access into programs you never knew existed.
Happy Commission-Making!
